Years Go By
by Z. Alexander
Summary: A series of four Cause and Effect sidestories, each from a different point of view. A true friend is someone who doesn't love us despite our mistakes, but because of them. The original Team Minato knows this better than most.
1. Enemies and Friends

This is a series of "Cause and Effect" oneshots that will give some background to the next story, "Effect and Affection." They are arranged in chronological order, so if you are wondering why they don't seem to follow a specific plot, it's because I'm doing one chapter for each character, at a different time.

Anyway, this is year one, so enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, the characters of Naruto, or the original plot. I do own some stuff, but anything Kishimoto owns, I do not.

* * *

She felt so _useless_ sometimes. She'd completely forgotten about Hebi-kusotare…not that she'd actually ever _seen _him, but that wasn't the point. She should've reminded Hokage-jijii…she should've reminded Minato-sensei…she should've said something! But Hebi-kusotare was gone now, and he would probably still try to get an Uchiha for his plans. If Itachi didn't kill his clan – and she didn't want to think he would, because he was a cute kid and Obito had been spending time with him –, then Orochimaru might go after_ him!_

Naruto could feel Rin's eyes on her as she paced around her apartment, but she couldn't quite bring herself to reassure the girl. After all, if she said she was fine, it would be a lie.

After everything she'd tried to do…everything she'd planned…she had failed, again. She knew it wasn't healthy to beat herself up over this, and she knew she should talk to Rin, but she just _couldn't. _Some part of her felt ashamed that she'd forgotten such a huge thing.

She stopped pacing and faced her friend. "Rin, I…"

"What is it, Naruto?"

"I'm gonna go train. I need to think."

Rin sighed. She looked like she wanted to protest, but she only said, "Where can I find you?"

"Area three. See ya later," she replied, and exited her apartment through her window. It was faster, and Rin had a key.

**I'm just a line break…don't mind me!**

She didn't know how long she'd been beating up the traps in area three, but the sun had sunk low in the sky. Her knuckles hurt, and her muscles were screaming at her, but she didn't stop – _couldn't _stop. She had to get _stronger; _now that Orochimaru had gone, she had to work harder than ever if she wanted to save Sasuke..._and_ Itachi, if it came down to it.

She heard something behind her, and she whirled around, preparing to punch whatever it was. It wasn't the _smartest _way to get rid of traps, but she wasn't going for _smart. _She was just trying to sort through everything.

But instead of hitting a trap, she hit a person's open fist.

"Damn, Naruto, what'd_ I _do to make you so mad?"

She scowled. "Obito, go away."

He gave her a calculating glance before shaking his head. "No."

"Don't be an ass, Obito. I need to train."

"You can't train with me?"

No, she couldn't. She didn't _want _company; she just wanted to tear more stuff up. She was still angry – with Orochimaru, but mostly with herself. How could she save the people she cared about like this? She didn't even realize she was shaking with clenched fists until Obito said, "Listen, Naruto…I don't know what the hell is wrong with you, but could you at _least _calm _down? _You're really freaking me out here."

She couldn't just_ tell _him what was wrong. She couldn't, because…

Because if she started, it would all come out – tears included. And she refused to cry over this.

"You could go away and you wouldn't have to be _scared," _she muttered.

"I'm not _scared,"_he said, rolling his eyes. "I'm _freaked out _because you're being _weird. _There's a difference."

"Just go away," she sighed, turning her back on him.

"Nuh-uh," he answered, and then she felt his arms around her. He rested his forehead against the back of her head – and for a moment, she was pointlessly glad that he was still kind of short. It was a stupid thought, because she shouldn't be glad about anything.

"I'm not leaving until you calm down. Do you have any idea how sad Rin-chan is right now?"

_Ah, that's it, _she thought cynically. _It's not like he'd actually come out here for _me.

It was uncharacteristic of her, but she was sometimes jealous of Rin. Maybe it was because Rin was a respected medic, and all Naruto had was taijutsu and a few flashy ninjutsu techniques. Maybe it was because Rin was pretty _and _strong, and most people mistook Naruto for a guy. This probably wasn't the case, because Naruto didn't put much stock in feminine traits. Maybe it was just because Obito was _her _best friend, and Rin didn't like him the way he liked her.

"Stop thinking so much," he said, shaking his head. She could feel it on the back of her head. She shrugged him off and turned around, scowling.

"Don't tell me what to do," she said crossly. "What do _you _know?"

"Nothing, because you won't _tell _me," he replied exasperatedly. "What's_ wrong _with you?"

She let out a breath of air and sat on the grass, still scowling. "Hebi-kusotare. He's gone. I didn't even _do _anything!" She punched the ground beside her, gritting her teeth against the pain. Then, she went on angrily, "I just failed Sasuke again. I failed _everyone _again. I'm sick of failing, Obito. _Sick _of it."

He sat down next to her and sighed, leaning back on his hands. "When will you stop being stupid?"

"Like _you _should talk," she retorted.

"I may not be the_ smartest _guy around, but damn it, Naruto, you're just being an _idiot. _And I'm not joking this time! Do you really think you can do all this by yourself?"

How could he ask something like that? She _had _to do this, because she was the only one who could!

"I'm the only one who knows about this stuff, so yeah, I have to."

"I could just be crazy-"

"You are."

"I could just be_ crazy," _he continued, giving her a Look, "but I can't help wondering why you aren't asking for help. Does anyone even_ know _the whole story?"

The answer was no. Rin knew the most; even more than Minato-sensei; but even _she _didn't know _everything. _She couldn't say everything…and she wasn't sure why. A little part of her mind whispered that she was afraid and ashamed, but she ignored it; that had never stopped her before!

"I'm not listening to you. Why are you still here?"

He shrugged. "Why not? It's not like Rin-chan is my only reason for being here. You're my friend and my teammate, and one of the coolest people I know. Why wouldn't I want to hang out with you?"

"Well _I _don't want to hang out with _you," _she replied, but her surly tone was half-hearted at best. He had unknowingly started cheering her up, just like that.

"Of course not. You're just taking a break, so you can be at full strength when you kick me out of the training area later, right?"

"Just…be quiet, okay? You're _not helping."_

He burst out laughing, the jackass! It took her a minute to realize that she was smiling as well, and then she shrugged. "Well, okay, you can train with me."

"Hey, I don't want to train with you. I can tell you've been out here all day, and it's nearly dark. I figured we could get Rin-chan and maybe Kakashi, if he decided to be a normal human being today, and go up onto the Hokage Mountain. We haven't done that in ages."

Why did he have to say stuff like that? Now she wanted to do it. Wait…

She _did _feel better, and he had barely said anything to her!

"…Fine."

It was the first time she'd ever seen Obito do something like this, and she found that it was kind of nice. They weren't joking around, and they weren't sparring, and still, he managed to make her feel better when nobody else could.

Yeah, he _was _her best friend. And she was, as always, glad he hadn't died.


	2. A New Way of Looking at Things

This is a series of "Cause and Effect" oneshots that will give some background to the next story, "Effect and Affection." They are arranged in chronological order, so if you are wondering why they don't seem to follow a specific plot, it's because I'm doing one chapter for each character, at a different time.

Anyway, this is year two, so enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, the characters of Naruto, or the original plot. I do own some stuff, but anything Kishimoto owns, I do not.

* * *

Kakashi really did try his hardest not to twitch when Naruto appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, and slung her arm around his shoulders. She had a habit of invading his personal space, which wasn't something he'd ever been able to get used to. She seemed to think he needed physical contact in order to draw him 'out of his shell;' he _could _admit to hiding, now, because he had four people (Kushina-san, Rin, Obito, and Naruto) who made sure to tell him they cared about him…daily. He didn't ever say anything out loud, but he knew they understood, and that was the point, wasn't it? Understanding? 

It had taken a whole year, after the conversation with Obito (which had been completely awkward, but enlightening all the same) at the hospital. If Kakashi was completely honest with himself (which happened more now than it had ever happened before), he could confidently call Obito his 'best friend,' a term he avoided voicing at all costs. Obito would just cackle in that annoying way of his, probably pointing a finger at him, and cry, "I knew you'd come around eventually, brat!"

Naruto had the annoying habit of calling him 'brat,' as well.

And speaking of Naruto…

"It's your birthday, Kakashi. You're gonna be fourteen! I'm here to collect you, so you won't run away. Of course, you're a pretty good ninja, so you already know about the party, but that doesn't mean you know what we're _doing, _and we all know how you freak out when you don't know stuff."

"I do not _freak out."_

"Oh, I'm sorry. You never stand there screaming like a little girl…but inside, you're running around with your hands in the air, wide-eyed and terrified!" And then, she saw fit to demonstrate…without letting _go _of him!

After she was finished, he asked, irritated, "Are you _capable _of acting like a normal human being?"

She grinned in a decidedly (and intentionally) crazed manner. "Who wants to be normal? I don't want to be _boring, _like you, panic-boy."

Well, she _was _right, about not liking the unknown. He'd actually been seeking a spot he could hide away in; any party planned, even in part, by Naruto and Obito would only be trouble. He must've had a wary look on his face, because she laughed and pushed his head down, grinding her fist on the top of his head.

"Cheer up! We're not gonna _completely _humiliate you." Suddenly, she looked vaguely worried. "I don't think so, anyway. I don't know what's going to happen either."

"That makes it even more worrisome," he replied. "Why don't you just go back and tell them I'm on a mission?"

"Because Kushina-neechan and Minato-sensei will be there. It wouldn't convince the _Hokage, _since he's the one who assigns missions. Nice try, though."

He sighed, but he didn't actually _feel _put-upon. It was more for show, now, than anything else; it had worked better when his former teammates hadn't _known _he more or less had accepted them."I suppose I'll just have to-"

"I knew you'd come around eventually, brat," she crowed, pointing a finger at him. He had the strangest feeling just then – his gut told him to get out of this while he still could, but her arm tightened around his shoulders (she also sometimes refused to let go, like now) and she grinned. "I'm so proud of you!"

He really _did _try to shrug her off, but she was like a leech. He didn't go any further into that thought (he really didn't want to imagine her sucking him dry), after that horrible, _horrible _talk with Rin's medic friend, Akira, about…uh…things he _really_ would've been better off not knowing.

It didn't help that three months ago, Naruto had presented him with a copy of a new book by Jiraiya-sama, Hokage-sama's sensei, and the_ story _had just _sucked him in. _Contrary to Naruto's beliefs (she'd never actually read it, herself), it wasn't all sex (which had him blushing mightily, and at first, he'd actually wanted to skip it all together), but the plot itself was well-planned and the whole book was beautifully written.

Still…he could've done without that little introduction to "the wonders of adult life, according to Akira-sensei."

He must've spaced out, because Naruto clucked her tongue and shook her head disapprovingly. "Kakashi, you ought to pay attention! Do you even know where we are right now?"

He glanced at his surroundings. "Um…yes?"

"No, you don't!"

He looked around again, just to make sure. Yes, he _did _know where they were. They were at the entryway to an apartment cluster; he recognized the red and green trim as the one Naruto lived in…

_Oh shit._

"Yes, brat, we're here."

"Um, I had something to do just now, and I really…"

He was met with the stares of Naruto, Obito, and Rin (when had the other two showed up? He hadn't even _noticed!), _and he knew there was no escaping now.

"Don't worry," Naruto whispered 'soothingly.' "I won't let them do anything _too _bad."

Somehow, he didn't feel comforted at all.

But, he thought as he was frog-marched into Naruto's apartment by his eager former teammates, it wasn't _too _bad. There was a good feeling in the whole apartment, and everybody was smiling at him – not because he was a genius ninja or because he had just completed a hard mission, but just because he was Hatake Kakashi.

_And_ someone (probably Rin) had remembered all his favorite foods.


	3. With Time

This is a series of "Cause and Effect" oneshots that will give some background to the next story, "Effect and Affection." They are arranged in chronological order, so if you are wondering why they don't seem to follow a specific plot, it's because I'm doing one chapter for each character, at a different time.

Anyway, this is year three, so enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, the characters of Naruto, or the original plot. I do own some stuff, but anything Kishimoto owns, I do not.

* * *

It was Rin's personal opinion that nicknames were given to people so that nobody had to remember anyone's _real _name. For instance, Hokage-sama was known everywhere as the Yellow Flash, but not many people knew that he was _really _Namikaze Minato. 

So when Kakashi-kun got his nickname, she patted him on the shoulder and said, "Now, nobody will remember your name. Only the people who already know you."

He didn't _look_ very distressed, because his face was covered in a mask, but Rin knew better. "Don't worry; I think 'Lightning Warrior' is very impressive."

He scowled and moved away. "Who cares?"

"Well, obviously, you do. It seems to me that you're not very happy about your new name."

He rolled his eyes and turned away. "I don't even know why people _call _me that. It's not like…"

"Kakashi-kun, you've created several lightning-based techniques. You've become a feared assassin; you may be Anbu, but everybody _knows _you. It's not _that _hard to see where it comes from."

"Don't denigrate me," he groused. "I just don't see how it _matters."_

"Well, it doesn't, to the people who care about you," she reasoned. "Honestly, having a reputation will make your job better for you. Hokage-sama actually had a 'flee on sight' order tacked onto _his _nickname; maybe you'll be lucky like he was. It'll save you from having to kill people you don't have to."

He looked at her like the idea had never occurred to him. "…Hmm."

"Anyway," she said, standing up and wiping stray grass off her backside, "it could be worse." She tied up her bentou box and grinned. "They could call you 'copy-nin,' which would be shortened to 'monkey' by your enemies. Be thankful."

He scowled. She knew he understood; Naruto had finally told him the story, and after a while, he had accepted it. It had taken him a lot longer than anyone else, but at least he'd believed her.

And he'd heard about Naruto's Kakashi-sensei, and had been mortified.

As she walked away from the field in which she'd been training with Kakashi-kun, she realized how far all of them had come. Kakashi-kun was more real, more _human; _Obito was more thoughtful, and less annoying; and Naruto was…

Well, Naruto was still_ Naruto, _but that wasn't a big surprise. Rin supposed that Naruto was their unofficial leader; she was always inspiring them to do better, and she was always learning, even if she didn't know it.

Rin had changed, too. She wasn't an intern any more; now, she was a fully-fledged medic. She didn't take as many missions as she used to, because she worked at the hospital, but she was still a good choice for field medic. Akira-senpai had presented her with the standard medic coat, officially accepting her into the ranks, and then…

Well, and then he hadn't come back from a mission. Rin had been very sad; he'd been her mentor, and her friend. But he was the one who'd told her that 'people grow and change with time,' and it was true. She took over the shifts she was allowed to take, and remembered him, but she didn't dwell on it. Dwelling brought suffering, and it was unnecessary.

She smiled as she thought of Kakashi-kun's disgruntled face as he told her of his new title; whether he realized it or not, he acted more like the human being he was, and not so much like the brick wall he'd tried to be.

Yes, they'd all come far. Including herself.


	4. Rivalry

This is a series of "Cause and Effect" oneshots that will give some background to the next story, "Effect and Affection." They are arranged in chronological order, so if you are wondering why they don't seem to follow a specific plot, it's because I'm doing one chapter for each character, at a different time.

Anyway, this is later in year three, so enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, the characters of Naruto, or the original plot. I do own some stuff, but anything Kishimoto owns, I do not.

* * *

Obito didn't really know why Anbu wore masks and tried to hide their identities; Kakashi's hair was a dead giveaway. Nobody else in Konoha had that hair. For that matter, most people were easy to pinpoint, even if their hair was covered. 

Maybe it was just…the_ principle _of the thing.

At any rate, Obito was glad he wasn't Anbu. He didn't think he could handle being an assassin; true, they were ninja, and they would occasionally be called upon to kill someone. But there was a big difference between a _kill _and an _assassination, _and even now, killing people made him jittery.

He didn't like it.

But right now, Kakashi wasn't Anbu, or even the 'Lightning Warrior;' right now, he was a friend, who was glaring at the wall from his position on the futon at his apartment.

"You know, you should listen to Rin-chan," Obito pointed out, folding his arms and leaning back against the wall. "She doesn't like patching you up all the time."

"You should go away," he replied, scowling. "She won't like patching _you _up, either."

"Don't be stupid; you can't even get out of bed."

Kakashi really couldn't argue with that, and so he didn't say anything.

"You shouldn't have accepted his challenge, you know."

"Well, what was I_ supposed _to do," Kakashi griped. "He wouldn't leave me alone!"

"You should've told him you'd play janken or something, instead of a _spar. _You know that guy's crazy!"

"_Janken? _Are you an _idiot? _No, don't answer; you are. Still," he added a bit ruefully, "he _is _a bit crazy."

"The clothes are proof, brat. Who, in their right mind, wears a skintight _green _bodysuit, points out a random guy, and declares him his 'eternal rival?' It's just…"

"Don't call me 'brat;' I'm your superior."

"And you're two years younger than me. Anyway, when have I ever worried about that kind of thing?"

Kakashi didn't reply; his eyes had closed, but he wasn't asleep yet. He was such a different person than he'd been when they were Team Minato; of course, he was still sometimes a brick, but at least he didn't act like he had a stick up his ass _all _the time. Obito knew for a_ fact _that Kakashi's favorite book was _Ichaicha Paradise,_even though he thought it was a secret. The _old _Hatake Kakashi would've burned himself alive before reading something like that.

Heh.

"Still," he murmured, "you beat him. Do you know what that means?"

Kakashi still didn't answer. Obito snickered. "That means you've got yourself an _eternal rival. _Maito Gai won't give up until he beats you…and then, he'll keep on challenging you until you _die. _If you're smart, you'll think of stupid things to suggest, so you won't get beat up every time."

"Shut up," Kakashi muttered, still not opening his eyes. "Don't you have something better to do?"

"You're right," he replied, getting an idea. "I have to go get Naruto. She'll just _die _when she hears about this!"

He did hear Kakashi's groan, but he was already outside.

He wouldn't bring Naruto to Kakashi's apartment; Obito had stopped by on Rin-chan's request, and he'd _had _to find out just _why _Kakashi needed the healing cream. And damn…those cuts were nasty. Kakashi had been 'accidentally' thrown into a tree.

Still…he would _tell_ Naruto, who in turn would never let Kakashi live this down.

**I'm just a line break…don't mind me!**

Obito's six-year-old cousin, Itachi, found him at the training grounds. Naruto was just leaving, taunting him about their next spar (but who really cared, anyway? They were friends), and Itachi scurried toward him, kunai in hand.

Obito's eyes widened as he caught the thrown kunai; for a little kid, Itachi's aim was pretty good. The scowl on his cousin's face was a little confusing. Obito grabbed his cousin and held his arms; Itachi squirmed and yelled, "You'd better let me go, Obito-niisan!"

"Why should I," he asked, finding the whole situation rather amusing, despite the confusion he felt.

"Because I have to fight you!"

"Why?"

Itachi stopped struggling then, and hit him full-force with a nasty glare. Of course, he _was _only six, so it was funnier than it was supposed to be.

"Why don't you just tell me why you're randomly attacking me," he said, "and I'll put you down. Don't you think it would be better to talk about it, anyway? What if it's just one big misunderstanding?"

He didn't remember doing anything that would've set his cousin off like this; however, Itachi was a temperamental little brat, probably due in part to his strict father. Obito had never liked his uncle.

Itachi gazed at him calculatingly, far more than any six-year-old should've been able, and slowly nodded. "Okay."

Obito set his cousin down and sat, patting the grass beside him. "What's up?"

Itachi was silent for a moment, before scowling. "You're cheating," he finally said.

This was news to Obito. "What am I cheating on?"

"You just _are. _You're not supposed to beat Naruto-neesan!"

"Hey, I beat her fair and square," he said, feeling more confused by the minute.

"But you're not _allowed _to!"

"Uh…why?"

Itachi completely clammed up and scowled. It was very strange, and very confusing, and Obito was finding it very hard to keep himself from laughing. Whatever Itachi was thinking, it must be Very Important. It was cute and not frightening at _all._

Finally, Itachi met his eyes and shook his head. "You'd better not marry Naruto-neesan," he said solemnly.

Obito raised an eyebrow, wondering why Itachi would _say _such a weird thing, and asked, "Why would I do that?"

"Because you're supposed to marry your girlfriend. But _you _can't."

…Girlfriend?

"Don't worry, she's not my girlfriend," Obito assured him. "We're just good friends." He couldn't help but smile at his cousin. But he still wanted to know…

"Why would you say something like that, anyway?"

Itachi motioned for Obito to come closer. He leaned toward his cousin, and Itachi whispered confidently, "Because _I'm _going to marry her, so _you _aren't _allowed _to."

Obito tried, he really did, but he couldn't _quite _keep the laughter down. "Why would you want to marry _her?"_

"Because she's the best ku…kuno…kunoichi _ever,_ and she's the _prettiest,_ too."

Obito snorted. "No she's not."

"It's true," Itachi protested. "You can't trick me like that! I know you want to marry her! You're my rival now, but I'm going to win, so you should just give up!"

"Well, no worries," Obito said, ruffling his cousin's hair. "She's _not_ my girlfriend, so there's nothing stopping you from proposing."

After a moment of Deep Contemplation, Itachi nodded with a satisfied look and stood, brushing the stray grass off his backside. He collected his kunai and began to walk away, but turned around before he'd gotten very far. "Should I give her a kunai at the wedding?"

Obito snickered. "Why would you do that?"

"Because she's the best kunoichi, so why would she want a stupid ring on our wedding day? It will only get in the way," he reasoned.

Later, when Obito told Naruto that Itachi was going to ask her to marry him, the ramen she'd been eating got all over his face and he really couldn't see what his little cousin was talking about.

Then again, when she finally found a towel and a shirt so he could wipe his face and wear something not covered in ramen, he noticed that she _had _grown up a little, and with her hair a bit longer, she _did _look more feminine.

Still, he thought with a scowl, Itachi could _have _her. That mocking smile was only pretty when she wasn't directing it at _him._

**I'm just a line break…don't mind me!**

It was all Itachi's fault, Obito thought, when he first realized he wouldn't mind kissing Naruto again. They'd only kissed once, on 'Mt. Tara,' but he found himself wondering what it would be like, if they kissed again. It was _not _something he'd ever thought would _ever _cross his mind, and he blamed his little cousin for putting weird ideas in his head.

It wasn't as if Naruto was a _girl…_

Okay, so she was, but she was no Rin-chan.

Two months later, when he could finally admit that maybe Rin-chan had a rival, he still blamed Itachi.

It really _was _his fault.


End file.
